The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories [Paperback]

Various (Author), Kate Figes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

"The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories" brings together a vast array of writing from women around the world. These stories mirror the changes and expectations of women's lives everywhere and reflect the diversity of their experience.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140261885
• ISBN-13: 978-0140261882
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Around the world in stories, May 20, 2004

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories (Paperback)

"The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories," edited by Kate Figes, is an anthology with a truly global sweep. Authors from every continent except Antarctica are represented. The stories represent a healthy variety of approaches--humor, horror, fairy tale, the grotesque, satire, realism, etc. There is also an excellent variety in terms of story length, ranging from a 50-page entry to stories of only 4 pages, with a nice mix of lengths in between. At over 460 pages long, it's a hefty collection.

I'll mention a few of the highlights. "The Jewess," by Irene Dische of Germany: About a German-American's trip to Germany to deal with his inheritance, this is a disturbing piece that deals with family history, Jewish identity, and the shadow of the Nazi era. "Nineteen Fifty-Five," by Alice Walker of the USA: About the relationship between an African-American female singer-songwriter and a white male performer, this is an interesting meditation on art and creativity. "A Wilderness Station," by Alice Munro of Canada: The story of a frontier wife, told in fragments from multiple voices. One of the longer selections, it's a fascinating and richly peopled story. "Distant View of a Minaret," by Alifa Rifaat of Egypt: Compact but deliciously ironic glimpse inside a marriage in Cairo. "In the Family," by Maria Elena Llano of Cuba: Macabre, witty, and humorous tale about a mirror with a supernatural power. "Broken Transformers," by Bi Shumin of China: a very down-to-earth story about the impact of an expensive child's toy on a financially struggling Chinese family.

There are many other memorable stories; other countries represented include Russia, Botswana, Japan, France, Australia, and others. A rich variety of themes are covered. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for college courses, book discussion groups, or individual reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS BOOK!!!, November 29, 2005

By 

P. C. Pinkston (Macon, GA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories (Paperback)

This book has many cultures, languages, and themes. I did not get bored with this one!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Can't we talk about something else for a change?, April 2, 2001

By 

Jody A. Reale "jody reale" (CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories (Paperback)

I like anthologies because they usually expose me to authors I wouldn't have otherwise read. I got that from The Penguin Book of International Women's Stories; however, instead of reading stories by women about women, every single entry was a woman's story about a man. I expected from the title to read about something other than men, and was therefore a bit disappointed.

I did find endearing prose in "Hairball", and "You're Ugly, Too", and was pleasantly surprised by the suspenseful nature of "The Bloody Chamber". So to sum up, the book features an inappropriate title introducing some good stuff about a tired old topic.